Gathering My Passion! The Kalos League Finale!
by LittleLitten
Summary: When I saw the titles of XYZ 36-44, I knew I needed to tell these stories. This is Ash's exciting Kalos League finale! Battles, theme songs, evil teams, and Amourshipping are just ahead. So let'z go!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note- So, when I saw the titles of XYZ 36-39 on Serebii, I couldn't help but freak out. I mean, GATHER, ALL OF MY PASSION?! KALOS LEAGUE VICTORY?! THE ZYGARDE AT THE PRISM TOWER?! I had to tell these stories!** **This fic, Gathering My Passion! The Kalos League Finale!, will have four chapters-one for each anime episode. I don't own the titles or characters. Though this is inspired by the anime so far and is my prediction of future events based on the titles and some other information released, it is almost certainly going to be very different than the real thing.**

 **Well, what are we waiting for? Let'z Go!**

Episode 36: Fierce Fighting at the Kalos League! Gather, All of My Passion!

* * *

Narrator- Ash has battled his way into the finals of the Lumiose Conference! But tomorrow, he will go up against Alain! How will he fare in a fight with the powerful Mega Charizard? One thing's for sure- he can't let it take away his sleep tonight!

 _Tomo. Astrid._ _Sawyer._ Even as the lights of Lumiose City and the occasional Pokemom cry surrounded him, he was thinking about his League battles. _Altaria. Absol. Aegislash. And tomorrow, Alain and Charizard._

After the moon had risen and the sandwiches, noodles, Berry skewers, cake, and pastries-courtesy of his inventor and Performer friends-seemed like distant memories, the Pallet Town native was still awake.

 _I know he has a Metagross as well as his Charizard, but I haven't seen any of his other Pokemon..._ He had left the hotel room and was now on the balcony.

 _Greninja is determined to face Mega Charizard again. I can't blame him, I feel the same way!_ A smile came to his lips when he thought about the amazing battle ahead.

 _And I can't lose! Not if I believe in my Pokemon! This is my best team yet! Alain, you had better get ready!_

"You hear me? I can't lose!" he whispered into the night. "I'm not failing and going to some other region again!" One person in particular filled his mind, as she so often did. "I won't leave her! I know Kalos will be it!

* * *

His pacing on the balcony had woken her up, though she didn't hear any of what he was saying.

 _You know what? Maybe I should talk to him...it's the least I can do._

* * *

A soft rustle of fabric broke the silence, and Ash turned around. "Serena?"

"Sorry if I startled you..." The Performer blushed. "Uh...isn't Lumiose City pretty at night?" she blurted out.

Being Ash, he didn't notice her awkward tone of voice. "Yeah!" he replied. "Look! There's the Pokemon Center, and the League battlefields, and Prism Tower, and..." he chattered on about the bright landmarks in the huge city.

She laughed. "They do call it the City of Light! It's the perfect place for a Kalos League victory!"

A wide grin spread across his face. "You're right! My team and I have all been training so hard, and we've finally made it here! Nothing can stop us now!"

It was this dedication, this confidence, this spirit and drive that Serena had always admired. She nodded. "I'm sure you'll win it!"

Ash yawned. "Well, I'm kinda tired now, so why don't we go back inside? Tomorrow's going to be a huge battle...I'm pumped up already!"

"I know what you mean-exhausted and excited! I get that feeling whenever I have a performance!" She followed him back into the room.

"Serena?" He turned to face her, knowing exactly what he wanted to say, but not how to say it. "Thanks."

"No problem. You did the same before my Masterclass." she told him.

 _Opening theme time! XY & Z or Stand Tall, your choice!_

* * *

The Kalos League Finals. It was happening at last. A reporter with distinctive pink hair and dark glasses was going over the events of the last few days on TV, but Ash wasn't paying an ounce of attention. "It's finally here...finally...FINALLY!" He was shouting with enthusiasm like a little kid. Serena giggled.

"Don't you have to go register your Pokemon for the battle?" she reminded him.

"Oh, yeah! And after that, I'll have to go straight to the arena..." The raven-haired boy paused, remembering everything he had forgotten in all the excitement.

"So go now!" she insisted.

"If you're late, you'll be disqualified!" Clemont pointed out.

"We'll be cheering for you!" Bonnie finished. Squishy let out a trill.

"All right! See you all soon!" And he ran off to the next fight-the next adventure.

* * *

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for! The Kalos League finals! This will be a Full Battle between the competing Trainers Ash and Alain, on a default, empty field. Both have shown their strength by making it this far-but who will be victorious? Battle, begin!" the referee announced.

"Hawlucha! I choose you!" Ash called out his starting Pokemon.

"Weavile." was Alain's simple reply as he tossed out his own Pokeball.

"So Alain's using Weavile..." Clemont adjusted his glasses. "But it's extremely weak to Fighting-types like Hawlucha...I wonder what he's planning."

"Be quiet, Big Brother!" Bonnie hissed. "Ash always says type matchups aren't everything! Just watch the battle!"

"Karate Chop!" Hawlucha dashed toward Weavile to obey the trainer's first command.

"Counter with Ice Punch." The Sharp Claw Pokemon slammed its fist into the approaching opponent, forcing it backwards. It was super-effective.

"Of course...that's his strategy...using ice..." the inventor groaned.

The future Pokemon Master, however, wasn't fazed at all. "Another Karate Chop!" This time, the move hit. In the stands, Chespin, Pancham, Bunnelby, and Dedenne were talking among themselves. As they were the smallest, they had been allowed out of their Pokeballs to watch the match and support Ash.

Squishy, though, was silent. Or that was what the group believed.

 _My friend, have they hurt you? Where have you been?_

* * *

"Flying Press! Keep it up!" Ash followed with another attack. His Pokemon leaped up into the air, lifted higher by the wind.

Alain's move involved the same element. "Use Icy Wind, Weavile!" he commanded with a meaningful glance up. Weavile aimed it straight at Hawlucha.

"Dodge it!" Though some of the freezing crystals struck him, Hawlucha was able to get away and continue his descent.

A certain Spiny Nut Pokemon, however, did not have the fight on his mind. A smell had caught his attention. "Ches...pin..." In almost a dream-like state, he slipped away to follow the trail. With all the noise from the final battle and the spectators, no one noticed him go- except for an annoying trio.

"Looks like the twerpish Pokemon has left the twerps!" James informed his partners in crime. They were hiding in plain sight among the audience.

"Forget dat Chespin. Da boss won't reward us dat much if we capture him." Meowth told him.

"You sure? Twerpish Pokemon attract more twerps-including the twerp Pikachu." Jessie pointed out. She kept an eye on Chespin with her pair of binoculars.

* * *

If the League was crowded for humans, small Pokemon had it even worse. Hazards such as feet, trash cans, and forks in the road were everywhere, and pushing through a group of people was nearly impossible. Yet the always-hungry Grass-type managed to track the sweet scent...through the stands...out the door...past the gate...He was so absorbed that he didn't notice the Quilava in in his way.

"Laaaava." the Pokemon sneered, looking thoroughly annoyed. And Chespin _ran_. In circles...straight ahead...a turn there...Finally, he stopped and looked around. No sign of Quilava. But no trace left of the delicious scent, either. And to make matters worse, he didn't know how to get back. "Ches...ches...chespin pin! Ches! Chespin!" he cried out before running some more in desperation.

Then, he picked up another smell. Not nearly as tantalizing as the first, but it would do. So Chespin decided to follow it. In his mind, there was nothing to lose.

It was getting stronger now. He stopped in front of a familiar-looking woman. She was wearing a simple, yet fancy, black hat, pink scarf, and sunglasses. But the only things that mattered to Chespin were the cookies she was eating daintily.

The woman looked at him. "You must be the Chespin from Ash's group! What are you doing here?"

"That-that's HER! The one with all the fans!" Jessie fumed. As this branch of Team Rocket disguised themselves regularly, they were quite experienced at recognizing hidden people-especially celebrities.

"No way! It is!" James watched 'her' hand Chespin a couple of cookies through his own binoculars.

"Dis is PERFECT! A twerp Pokemon and her Mega-Evolved Pokemon! Right there waitin' for us!" Meowth was dreaming of rewards already.

"Uh, Meowth?" Jessie interrupted. "If we blow her cover in front of all these people and take her Pokemon, we'll blow OUR cover too!"

"Jess is right." James agreed. "It's too risky."

* * *

Meanwhile, the battle was raging on. Both sides had landed a couple more hits, but the Trainers were too skilled and the Pokemon too tough for either to faint.

"Hawlucha! High Jump Kick!" Serena could see the determination in Ash's eyes as he gave the order. She smiled. And somehow, despite the hundreds of other people filling the stadium, he noticed it and gave her a smile back.

"Ice Punch! Block that!"

For a second, Hawlucha's kick met Weavile's fist. And then the sheer force of the attacks sent them flying to opposite sides of the stadium. "It's a double knockout!" the referee gasped, as if anyone didn't see that already. "Weavile and Hawlucha are both unable to battle, so...neither Pokemon is the winner!"

Serena, Bonnie, Clemont, and their Pokemon cheered. Even though Hawlucha had fainted, he had still taken down Weavile.

But one voice was missing, and it belonged to one of Clemont's Pokemon. "Chespin's gone!" he exclaimed, leaping out of his seat.

"Dedenne, did you see where he went?" Bonnie asked.

"De de ne!" The tiny Antenna Pokemon shook its head.

Her brother was already pulling out a small device from his backpack. "Ha ha! The future is now, thanks to science! This tracker will find Chespin in no time!"

"Then hurry so you don't miss the battle!" Serena said. Alain was already sending out a Pokemon.

"Metagross!"

 _Looks like it's going to levitate...there's only one choice! Sorry Noivern, I know you really wanted a rematch..but I can't take any chances after that double knockout!_ "Talonflame! I choose you!"

* * *

"Chespin..." Lumiose City's Gym Leader muttered, staring at the screen of his tracker. "Where are you...where are you..." The proximity light was glowing brighter and brighter every step he took. He knew he was getting close. Suddenly, it flashed, then went dim.

The inventor paled. "No...no, no, not again..." He knew what would happen next. Quickly, he stuffed the tracker into a pocket in his backpack to contain the small explosion.

Embarrassed, he glanced around him to see if anyone had seen the unfortunate incident. Luckily, their eyes were all on Talonflame, who was Flame Charging towards Metagross.

A flash of green caught his eye. The invention had done its job of locating Chespin. Panting, Clemont chased after his Pokemon. And then he noticed the woman. They had met multiple times before-for battles and chocolate cake. _Diantha? What's she doing with Chespin?_ But he knew better to ask her aloud.

"Ches! Ches, pin pin!" His Pokemon ran back to him, the Champion's last cookie in its tiny hands.

Clemont sighed. He knew Diantha had a sweet tooth-and so did Chespin. The Grass-type had a knack for sniffing out desserts. "Did he eat them all? I'm so sorry..." he apologized with a respectful bow.

"It's all right. It was only a few. Your Chespin was very polite. Tell your friend I'm excited for our next battle!" she said with a wink.

"I'll do that!" Reunited with his Pokemon, Clemont headed back to his seat.

* * *

And not a moment too soon. Ash was calling for a Steel Wing.

"Metal Claw." Alain's voice was dead serious. He straightened his black jacket. The steely Pokemon deflected the attack easily and lifted it's other (hand? leg? limb?) for another attack. Though Talonflame managed to get away before taking huge damage, it just wasn't on the same level.

Ash could see this, and for once, he stopped to think. _I can't come at Metagross with Steel Wing. But Talonflame is surely much faster than it. Maybe I could use that to my advantage? Wait...haven't I been doing that all along?_

Of course, he was now even more confused. That worried Serena. Automatically, her hand went to her blue ribbon. "He's trying to find a plan...Ash is in trouble."

"But how can you tell that?" Bonnie questioned.

"The look on his face." Serena answered.

"If you say so..." the young blonde girl replied.

* * *

Spur-of-the-moment strategy wasn't doing the raven-haired boy any good. He had to act now. "You can do it, Talonflame! Flame Charge!" _Metagross is too heavy and slow! It won't be able to dodge!_

But Alain just grinned wickedly. "Psyshock."

The stadium went silent. Still in the air, Talonflame jerked up and down from some invisible force- and fell to the ground, exhausted.

"Talonflame is unable to battle, making Metagross the winner!"

"You did well; now have a nice rest." Ash whispered, recalling his Pokemon.

And then he froze as reality set in. _I'm behind! My next choice needs to battle extra hard! Not Greninja, I'll need him to go against Charizard! Noivern? I don't know how well his sound waves would work...Goodra? But can his attacks penetrate that hard steel shell? Pikachu, then? I don't know..._

He hesitated, his eyes darting around the arena nervously. Everyone was still quiet. _Waiting for me._

Eventually, his gaze reached his friends and stopped on the Performer. She was mouthing something at him. It looked like...do gi uh ti oh aa? No. _Don't give up till it's over, Ash!_

The story of their first meeting ran through his head. And then their next meeting in Santalune City years later. That was followed by the Summer Camp, moments in her Showcases, Coumarine City, the Masterclass, her battle with Jimmy when he had a fever, and ended with their short argument in the Winding Woods. When he had finally realized that he loved her...

 _Thanks, Serena! I definitely won't! How could I doubt my team?_ He smiled, reaching up to turn his cap backwards. All kinds of emotion were filling him-tension, excitement, fear, hope, trust, and surprise, but most importantly, _passion for his dream_. He wanted-needed, really-it all for this fierce battle! _I'll go with a Pokemon that tops Metagross with plain strength!_ "All right! Goodra, I choose you!"

Suddenly, the audience was alive with sound again. Debating how Goodra would do, predicting the first moves...

But they were quieted by Ash's first command for his third Pokemon.

* * *

 **Cliffhanger, I know! A few notes:**

 **1\. I know many think that Mairin will be the 'certain someone' who Chespin meets, but I just think it would be fun and interesting to have a disguised Diantha there! Besides, Msairin wouldn't want to leave the sick Chespie, right?**

 **2\. Team Rocket may have shown sense and not done much yet, but they're still there. Don't forget about that.**

 **3\. Squishy will be important later...(Puni-chan no Uta plays as the ending theme...)**

 **And that's it! My version of XYZ 36! See you next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's** **Note- Well, I watched the preview of XYZ 36, and it looks like I'm majorly- or should I say Mairin-ly- diverging from canon already! My attempt at predicting the future has failed...** **In all fairness though, how could you expect (removed due to spoilers for XYZ 36) to show up?**

 **But that doesn't really matter, right? It's a fanfic! XD Picking up after that action-packed beginning last chapter, here's Chapter 2 of Gathering My Passion! The Kalos League Finale!**

Episode 37- The Finals! Ash VS Alain!

* * *

"Is it ready?" Two men were talking in a dark room, a glass cage behind them.

"Indeed. I guarantee that this WILL FORCE Z2 to change." the second said, holding up a remote with three buttons, each just a tiny bit larger than the last. The green creature inside the cage squirmed and shrieked.

 _My friend! My friend! I need you! Danger! Danger!_

The first man inclined his head slightly. He had no desire to see a demonstration...yet. "Xerosic?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't let me down again." He strode confidently out of the room, leaving nothing, not even a single red hair, behind.

 _Every episode's got an opening theme, and this one's no different! XY & Z or Stand Tall, which one you hear is your own decision!_

* * *

"Bide! Now!" was the move that everyone had been waiting for, yet only one Trainer could anticipate. No longer was Ash worried about having lost two Pokemon. _Goodra can handle this!_

Clemont, still trying to find his seat with Chespin, gave him a strange look, but didn't say anything. If Ash's battle instincts said that Goodra needed to start with a Bide, then Goodra needed to start with a Bide...

Predictably, Metagross didn't move an inch.

Even for Ash, it had not been a typical order. The inventor puzzled over it as he continued to walk, not noticing his Pokemon's nose twitch.

* * *

"Hey, Bonnie! Looking good, Serena! Mind if we join you?" Tierno said as he approached the two girls with his two friends.

"Tierno! Shauna! Trevor!" Bonnie smiled.

"Of course we don't mind! Nice to see you guys again!" Serena exclaimed.

Her brunette friend giggled. "Nice to see you too! How's Ash doing?"

The honey-blonde blushed, remembering that Shauna knew her (not-so)secret."He's doing very well, but his last order was sort of strange."

"He must have known that Alain wouldn't attack..." Trevor wondered. He had been studying the battle intently the whole time.

"W-what is Ash doing then?" Bonnie asked, concern for her friend in her voice.

"I honestly don't know...though I'm sure he has a plan!" Serena reassured her.

"Rain Dance!" The next command cut them all off.

"Goooo...draaaaa!" A downpour fell onto the two battling Pokemon. Suddenly the arena was cold. But Goodra had enough control to keep the grey clouds away from the Trainers and the audience.

"And follow it up with Dragon Breath!"

"Metagross! Stop that before it can move! Psychic!"

But instead of lifting Goodra in the air like a puppet, the move merely brightened the white glow around it.

"And now! Let it out!" Ash shouted. The beam of pure light raced towards the slow Psychic-Steel type and impacted with a powerful crash.

 _He...he was still using Bide? He held it that long?_ A shadow of doubt passed over Alain's face. But it was only for a second. _I don't lose anymore! I will crush that Ketchum! For her smiles to return!_

* * *

Little did he know that a young girl, her red-brown hair in a green and orange cap, was watching and, though she felt a bit bad about leaving her Pokemon behind, she was grinning.

A small Grass-type was not. His love of dessert was so strong that even after Diantha had given him cookies, and even though he was supposed to be heading back with Clemont, he still followed smells. He saw the treat on the ground, not bitten into or dirty at all- until a clumsy foot crushed it. "Ches! Pin!" he cried out.

Immediately, the girl whirled around. "I'm so sorry! I destroyed it, didn't I..." she sighed. Then she saw the Pokemon in front of her. "Chespie? How...you didn't follow me, did you?"

"Pin?" He had never even seen her before.

She relaxed. "You're another Chespin. Not my Chespie. Where's your trainer, then?"

The Spiny Nut Pokemon looked around. She had given him a good question. He spotted the Lumiose Gym Leader and gestured to him with a "Ches!".

Clemont hadn't realized that his Pokemon was gone again, and he was only gettig farther away. So the girl gently picked up Chespin and began to run. "Don't worry." she told him as she got faster and faster. "I'm Mairin. I'll help you find them!"

* * *

"Meteor Mash." Alain ordered calmly, without showing any trace of his emotions.

"Dragon Pulse." Ash told his Dragon-type in the same tone.

This beam was dark purple, and when it collided with the approaching Pokemon, thick smoke rose. Despite the force of a meteor in the Iron Leg Pokemon's punch, only one of them was left seing stars. "Metagross is unable to battle! Goodra is the winner!"

Tierno high-fived Trevor. Bonnie sighed in relief and said something to Shauna. And the eyes of Ash's other friend shone with admiration.

 _He did it...he reversed the battle right away..._ That had happened thanks to her words, but, of course, she had no way of knowing that. _It's just amazing what his team can do!_

Try as she might, Serena knew that she would never be like Ash. No one would. They would never have his passion, his dedication, or his energy.

* * *

"Keep on going, Alain!" Mairin encouraged, still sprinting. She was gaining on the slow Clemont.

"Pin! Pin! Pin!" the Pokemon cried out. Luckily, he was very close.

"Chespin?" The inventor changed directions when he saw them.

"Here you go!" she said, carefully putting Chespin down next to his trainer.

"I'm sorry..." Clemont said for the second time that day. "Thank you so much for finding Chespin! He often wanders off when he smells food..." he told her, a bit embarrased by the Pokemon's antics. "My name's Clemont. Forgive me if I sound rude, but...who exactly are you?"

"I'm Mairin! I'm here to see the finals! Pleased to meet you!" the new trainer said with a smile.

"I see...however, it looks like you don't have a seat. Why not come join my friends? We have a mostly empty row." he offered.

"That would be awesome!" she said gratefully, following him. Soon, they reached the others.

"T-this is Mairin...She h-helped me find Chespin...a-and she doesn't have a seat..." Clemont panted, exhausted from the run. "N-nice to see you, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor..."

They greeted the younger girl, who ended up sitting next to the youngest in the group. "How many Pokemon do you have? Can I see them?" the energetic blonde immediately asked.

"I haven't been on my journey for a long time, so I only have two. This is Bébé!" She grabbed a Poke Ball and let out the tiny Fairy-type.

"So, so, so cute!" Bonnie enthused. "My friends are Squishy and Dedenne!" She showed off her yellow pouch with the two resting Pokemon.

"De ne ne!"

"Be be fla be!" Mairin's Pokemon introduced itself.

Squishy didn't say anything. An urgent look that none of the seven trainers picked up was on its face.

Mairin's eyes widened at the sight of the green Pokemon. It looked so familiar...

"But didn't you say you have two Pokemon?" Bonnie wondered.

Loneliness and guilt clouded her expression. "Yes, but my Chespie is recovering..." _And I left her alone! I just had to see the battle! I hope she's okay..._

"You have a Chespin? Just like my brother? You're a keeper!" The little matchmaker jumped out of her seat. "Won't you take care of Clemont? Please?"

"What...?"

Clemont was about to start the Aipom arm. But Alain (though unknowingly) broke up the little scene by sending out his next Pokemon. "Tyranitar!"

"Wow! I didn't know he had a Tyranitar! But it looks like it can win!" Mairin exclaimed.

"So you're supporting Alain?" Serena asked her. She nodded.

* * *

The Rock-Dark type on the battlefield had started stirring up a flurry of sand with its tail. First it became a small cloud, then a mini tornado, and finally what could only be called a Sandstorm. And though Tyranitar wasn't doing anything anymore, it continued to swirl and rage. The clouds from Goodra's earlier Rain Dance quickly faded away.

"That's the ability Sand Stream!" Clemont pointed out, adjusting his glasses for a better view.

 _Tyranitar? Looks tough..._ Ash wondered how his Pokemon would fight in the Sandstorm, but he had a idea for that, so his thoughts changed to excitement at facing such a strong Pokemon. _This is gonna be awesome!_ "Dragon Breath!"

"Shield yourself with Rock Slide."

Goodra's attack was unsuccessful for two reasons. First, the sand had gotten to his eyes, and he had exhaled the blast of air in the completely wrong direction. Second, even if it hadn't missed, the shower of stones would have blocked it.

The Mega-Evolution Trainer and his Pokemon looked almost...bored. _In the Lumiose Conference finals?_ That made Ash clench a fist. _I'll show them! It's not even close to over yet!_

"We'll just break that! Close your eyes!" Most of the crowd gasped, though his friends just exchanged smiles. They had seen this with Pikachu before.

"Aim a Dragon Pulse to your right!" Everyone's favorite purple reptile (and it's not a certain dinosaur) easily cracked the barrier. He trusted his Trainer and he followed instructions, managing to hit the right spot.

"That's it! Dragon Pulse again, same place!" This attack targeted the opponent, who had no time to react.

"And Rain Dance!" He finished by putting his counter-Sandstorm idea into motion. Goodra could open his eyes again now.

With the loss of the weather advantage and the multiple hits that the Dragon Pokemon had dealt, things were looking darker and darker for Alain. "Payback."

Tyranitar glowed a fierce deep violet for a second as he stored, then unleashed, energy. It took the form of an open hand, slapping Goodra hard.

Though a little banged up, he could still fight. "Use Dragon Breath!"

But the Armor Pokemon easily dodged the dangerous exhale. "Dark Pulse!"

"Bide!" Ash quickly countered.

* * *

At this point in the battle, everyone's eyes were glued to the (very wet) field. Both sides were on their third Pokemon, and one wrong move could have serious consequences.

"Oy vey!" Meowth exclaimed. "Dat twerp might actually have a chance dis time!"

"I disagree. Just look at Tyranitar." James argued.

"Will you two be quiet? I'm TRYING to watch!" Jessie interrupted.

Sadly, she didn't get her wish. A reporter was coming their way.

"My trusty crew! It's time for more interviews!" she annouced with a toss of her pink hair.

Jessie opened her mouth to protest, but James put a hand on her shoulder. "Patience...remember...the boss said he needs agents to inflitrate the League..."

"I've had enough of patience!" she hissed back, but the reporter didn't hear. She was already trying to find the defeated League entrants in the massive arena.

* * *

"Fire out another Dragon Pulse! Do it to the right!" Goodra followed the command. Naturally, Tyranitar had to dodge by moving to the left. Which happened to be towards Goodra.

"Rock Slide!" Noticing that, Alain took the opportunity to attack.

"That doesn't bother us! Unleash that Bide!" It was typical risky Ash- take damage in order to dish out even more.

The collision made everything clear. "Tyranitar is unable to battle! Goodra is the winner!"

Some random instinct caused Serena to scream "All right, Ash!" And when she realized what she had done, her cheeks turned pinker than Shauna's shirt.

"Calm down, calm down!" her Performing rival giggled on one side of her.

"I can't believe he still doesn't know yet..." the lemon-haired girl teased on the other.

Ash thought he heard something, but, over the roar from the rest of the crowd, he couldn't make it out.

* * *

"So, Ash is winning then?" The Kalos Champion opened a door and slipped into the room where she was supposed to be commenting on the battle.

"Yes. But I'm sure you saw that. You can't just go running off and disappearing in the stands, you know." Kalos's Pokemon Professor told her, a little amused.

Diantha sighed. "You know it's much more fun to be in the crowd!"

"Still, your statements about the fight are much appreciated by that crowd." he reminded her.

She turned to the switch and flicked it up. They were now on the huge screen above the battlefield. "Goodra has proven to be very hardy and strong, managing to take down both Metagross and Tyranitar. But Alain's next Pokemon could switch things around." she announced. "Will it be able to beat Ash's cra- _unorthodox_ strategies?" she quickly corrected herself.

"Looks like we're about to find out!" Professor Sycamore added as Alain readied a Poke Ball.

* * *

"Scolipede, Steamroller!"

Right away, the Megapede curled up and rammed into Goodra, shocking the viewers as it forced the Pokemon to the ground.

That had got to hurt...but Ash was still unfazed. "You can do it! Ice Beam!" he called out.

One thing about being on top of another Pokemon-you didn't have time to escape. When the freezing crystals made contact, Scolipede immediately changed the direction of its roll to move away from its opponent.

"Poison Tail!" Alain wouldn't let the fight slow down, even for a second. His Unovan Bug-Poison type turned around and swung its thick tail. Right across the Kalosian dragon's face.

"Are you okay?" Ash worried. He couldn't even remember how many direct hits Goodra had taken.

But he was tough. And ready for the next order. "Goo goo draaa!"

"In that case, Dragon Breath!" the Trainer said with a grin. His Pokemon opened his mouth and-nothing. Just a loud cough. Even though he was normally lavender, Goodra was looking even more purple than usual.

"Poison! Plus all the damage...Goodra may faint soon!" Clemont fretted.

Fortunately, one of those was taken care of. The lavender Pokemon had stopped coughing and used the Dragon Breath like normal.

"Megahorn!" Neither attack hit.

"That's right! The ability Hydration!" Trevor said. "It cures some conditions when it's raining!"

Alain realized this as well. "If slowly draining you won't work, then let's knock you out, one more hit! Double-Edge!"

"Bide!" Ash called desperately, but it was too late.

Even more infuriating than the Mega-Evolution trainer's obvious disregard for Scolipede's safety was the fact that he was right about the attacks strength. The charge had damaged both Pokemon, but only Goodra wasn't standing. In the sky, the grey/black clouds had disappeared.

Seeing this, three 'journalists' begrudgingly asked another question to a semi-finalist. They would rather just watch, and their tone showed it. "You know Ash's team...Now that he's lost Hawlucha, Talonflame, and Goodra, what do you think of his chances?"

"I have complete faith in Ash! His strategies are second to none!" the green-haired boy announced, flipping through the pages of his notebook. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to get to my seat!"

* * *

"Noivern! I choose you!" Who else could Ash use?

"Venoshock." the opponent smirked, adjusting his blue scarf. His Pokemon spat out poisonous purple gunk.

"Dodge and use Boomburst!"

"Not happening. Do what we practiced, Scolipede!" Noivern narrowly missed each and every glob. Until an unexpected Megahorn hit him in the chest. Then the Megapede took the opportunity to aim and fire two more clumps of the gunk-on on either ear.

Ash's fourth Pokemon was going down. He couldn't use Boomburst or hear anything. And to make matters worse, the poison was hurting him.

 _How can I free him...what can I do... that's it!_ Alain's plan had one simple, obvious flaw. Ash let out a relieved sigh. His Flying-Dragon type turned to him to see the order, as his ears were plugged.

"Acrobatics! Go up and down and left and right and shake all that stuff off!" he said slowly and clearly.

Overconfidence was never good, even for Mega-Evolution trainers. Before the toxic gunk could permanently damage his delicate ears, Noivern's body turned blue. He spun around, and suddenly he could hear again. "Noivern! Noi noi noivern!" he cried as he dove down to attack.

"Come on!"

* * *

 **Author's Note- So, who said that last line? I think I know...XD**

 **This chapter/'episode' has continued the EPIC 6 vs 6 battle! And a new spectator, Mairin, has joined the Clemontic Group as they watch and cheer. We've seen Ash fight without hearing and without sight, and we've seen Alain's need to win with both cocky and serious attitudes. Right now, both are on their fourth Pokemon...**

 **Oh yeah, there's something else. It was small, but important in this chapter.**

 **Squishy, Squishy...you're oh so very soft! *continues singing the ending theme***

 **See you all next time! Hope you enjoyed this!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note- Raise your hand if you were surprised by the lack of battling in 'Fierce Fighting at the Kalos League! Gather, All of My Passion!'**

 ***imitates Hermione***

 **Now raise your hand if you were surprised by UNFEZANT on Alain's team.**

 ***imitates Hermione***

 **And raise your hand if you can't wait for (the real) XYZ 38!**

 ***imitates Hermione***

 **In fanfic-related news, I'm going to be expanding this fic to six chapters instead of the original four, as the episode titles for XYZ 40 and 41 show a continuation of the Team Flare arc! I hope you're looking forward to that as much as I am!**

 **Here's part 3, my version of XYZ 38!**

Episode 38- Kalos League Victory! Ash's Ultimate Match!

* * *

"Come on!"

On the field, Alain paused. _No, she can't be here..._

He couldn't help but take a look in the direction of the voice. And there she was, the new trainer, almost like a little sister to him, who he had failed to protect. _It can't be..._

But it was. Mairin was there. New determination surged through him. "Scolipede! Steamroller!" That at least stopped Noivern's Acrobatics.

* * *

"I must say, Malva, your plan to motivate our operative was quite successful."

The pink-haired woman smirked. "It was only a matter of lessening the security around the girl. She may have believed that she escaped of her own will and without our notice, but in truth, we predicted it and encouraged her to go."

"Most excellent indeed. Then everything is lined up."

* * *

"Boomburst!" The powerful sound waves forced the Megapede away, its ears filled with horrible ringing.

"Double-Edge!" was Alain's counter.

"Again? But that's so risky!" Mairin worried.

"Acrobatics!"

A blue glow, a couple of swooping glides that Hawlucha would have been proud of, and a quick clash of moves followed.

"Use Double Edge again!"

If Mairin was surprised the first time, she was shocked now. What type of Trainer fought like that?

Yet Scolipede obeyed the dangerous command, and Ash's Noivern was unable to get away in time.

"Noivern can no longer battle! Scolipede is the winner!"

But it wasn't a complete victory, because the Pokemon was barely standing.

* * *

"Did you get it?" a magenta-Ponyta-tailed woman pestered her accomplice.

"Of course!" the Scratch Cat boasted, holding up something shiny and round. "Dat friend of the twerps was so easy to steal from! His eyes were glued to dat notebook for da whole interview!"

"That Key Stone is our ticket to a promotion!" James reminded them. "Let's call the Boss! Immediately!"

Jessie and Meowth nodded. For once, the trio didn't argue about who would get credit.

A man-the Boss-appeared on their computer screen, immediately seeing the stone. "I see that you have aquired it. Later today, I wil arrive in Lumiose City, and I expect you to be ready. Good work."

 _XY & Z or Stand Tall follows this new development!_

* * *

A certain redhead was at the edge of her seat.

"Who's Alain going to choose next?" the green-haired-and recently robbed, though he didn't know that-boy asked, like he had read her mind as he walked up to join the group.

"Sawyer! What took you so long?" Tierno exclaimed.

"First I kind of got lost in the stands...and then there was an interview..." he admitted, sitting down next to Trevor.

On the battlefield, Ash turned his head to look at the partner on his shoulder. "You ready to go, buddy?"

"Pika pika!" he affirmed, jumping back to the ground with electricity crackling at his cheeks.

"Then Pikachu, I choose you!" As he said the familiar words, he recalled his first day as a Trainer in Kanto and how far he and his first Pokemon had come since then. Where would he be if he hadn't overslept? Not here, in the Kalos League finals, with friends watching both in the arena and on TV, that was for sure.

Alain started things off with a "Megahorn!"

"Electro Ball to block that!" Ash quickly ordered. The two powerful attacks met, destroying each other. But while that was happening, his Pokemon was getting into position, anticipating the next move.

"Iron Tail, Pikachu!" At this point, Scolipede just could not dodge. It fell with a loud thud.

* * *

After the referee announced this, Alain readied his fifth Poke Ball. "Bisharp! Begin with an Iron Head!" _I won't give him any time to think!_

The Sword Blade Pokemon started its headfirst charge as soon as it was called out.

"Pikachu! Er...use..." Ash had to come up with something. "Quick Attack to get away!"

Luckily, the speedy electric mouse managed to outmanuver the opponent.

"Night Slash!" The twin blades on Bisharp's arms glowed, and it once again ran at Pikachu.

"Electro Ball!" This collided with the hard metal of the Dark/Steel-type's body, making a hollow _clang!_

"Don't stop! Night Slash again!"

The eyes of the viewers kept shifting between the two competing Trainers as the rapid-fire moves continued.

"Thunderbolt! Put all you've got into it!"

"Pi...ka!" That was no ordinary bolt. It was at least double the size of Pikachu's normal attack.

 _Wow...he really listened..._ Ash thought to himself with a grin.

It was also much faster than a normal bolt. Bisharp had no chance to dodge. The force of the electric move left all the viewers shocked. Yet when the light faded, the Sword Blades Pokemon was still standing.

"Guillotine." Alain commanded coldly. _No time for playing around!_ Instead of the black of Night Slash, the blades became the blue of...something much, much, worse. After using so much energy for the extra-large Thuderbolt, Pikachu couldn't avoid the first slash. Or the second.

Not even Mairin was cheering loudly when the referee proclaimed the electric mouse unable to battle.

"A one-hit knockout move..." Sawyer didn't have to whisper, but he did so anyway.

"Quite a surprising-and dangerous-move from Alain...but I don't think he'll be able to do it twice." Clemont observed.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked her brother.

He pushed up his glasses. "Well, Guillotine and other one-hit knockout moves are very hard to hit with and very likely to miss their target. Did you see how slow Bisharp was moving at the end? If Pikachu hadn't just used that supercharged Thunderbolt, he would easily have been able to get away."

"And Ash is using Greninja next! He won't lose to an attack like that!" Serena said confidently.

"If you say so...but I'm still kinda worried..."

* * *

"Greninja, I choose you!" Ash called out, sending his first Kalos Pokemon and final Kalos League Pokemon into the battle. _We've got to take care of Bisharp fast and not get hurt, 'cause that would put us at a disadvantage against Charizard!_

"Water Shuriken!"

"Iron Head!" Alain ordered, so that Greninja's shurikens would bounce right off.

"Switch to Water Pulse!" Suddenly, Greninja fired out a sphere of water and not individual throwing stars.

"Switch to Night Slash!" The Sword Blade Pokemon easily cut it in two.

Diantha and Professor Sycamore were on TV again. "What's going on now?" the Champion wondered. "It's attack after attack...Bisharp quickly blocks all of Greninja's moves..."

"This is truly a battle of two more-than-capable fighters! Ninja against swordsman!" the Professor told the audience as Ash called for more Water Shurikens.

"Don't stop until it hits! And hits again!" The boy from Pallet Town was truly determined to win the League, and he knew that the Electro Ball and Thunderbolt had damaged Bisharp already.

Just as Ash predicted, Alain's Pokemon couldn't knock them all away forever. A single star hit, and he saw an opening. "Aerial Ace!"

That was all Greninja needed to knock Bisharp out of the finals.

* * *

"Charizard! Let's finish this off and win the battle!" This was Alain's last Pokemon. But it was also his most powerful. _I won't lose!_

"Finally! Charizard! You can do it!" Mairin encouraged her friend.

Ash didn't make another move. He knew what Alain was going to do first.

"Key Stone, respond to my heart! Beyond Evolution! Mega Evolve!" The light connecting Trainer and Pokemon, a physical representation of their bond, grew and grew, surrounding Charizard. When the Fire/Dragon emerged, its flame was blue and most of its body had turned black. It was Mega Charizard.

"You ready?" Ash asked his Pokemon with a smile. Greninja nodded. This was what they had been waiting for.

"Double Team!" Copies of the Ninja Pokemon appeared, filling his side of the stadium.

"Not a problem. BLAST BURN!" Finally, Alain was showing some enthusiasm for the battle.

Ash turned pale. "Blast...Burn...?" he repeated, not expecting such a powerful attack so early. "Greninja, g-get out of there!" But it was too late.

Blue flames seemed to swallow Mega Charizard as he punched the ground, sending energy at...all the Greninjas. Nothing seemed to happen at first.

Until a huge fire burst out beneath them. All the copies vanished. When the flames disappeared, one Pokemon was revealed on the ground, battered from the blast.

"Are you all right, Greninja?" Ash cried out, obvious fear filling his voice. With a slight wince, the Pokemon managed to stand up and turn to him. "Gren. Ninja!"

 _Oh no...he's been hit really badly...Alain's even stronger than I thought!_ he realized. _And-and I have to win! I can't leave her! Not now!_

He shook his head to clear it. _No use worrying! There's only one thing I can do now!_

* * *

 _Let'Z go!_

"Greninja! We can still fight!" Ash raised his fist, and the familiar torrent of water flooded over his partner. They were synchronized. One dream, one goal- to win the Kalos League!  
In the stands, a certain honey-blonde Performer smiled. This was typical Ash.

 _The battle burns fiercely around us_

"Water Shuriken!" he commanded, making the same sort of throwing motion as his Pokemon. Greninja-well, Ash-Greninja now-reached for some water from the huge star on his back.

"Block that with Dragon Tail!" Alain ordered his Mega Charizard, who turned around and slammed his glowing tail into the fast-approaching attacks. Some, however, did manage to get past it and hit its back.

 _Let'Z go!_

The veil of water was starting to disappear, revealing the interesting combination of Trainer and Pokemon beneath.

"Now!" Ash called out, extending his arm towards the opponent. His Pokemon started even before the trainer said it. "Use Water Pulse!"

 _We know that a crisis is a chance_

The pure, clear blue sphere found its mark, causing the Mega Evolved Pokemon to flinch. But Alain gave it a sharp glare, and Charizard knew what to do. It flew up above Ash-Greninja, letting out a mighty roar.

 _Here goeZ!_

"Aerial Ace!" was Ash's next order. The frog/ninja leapt up to hit the airborne opponent.

"Not so fast! FLAMETHROWER!" It wasn't called Mega for nothing. The black Charizard spat out enough fire to burn up a small house, stopping Greninja in its tracks. Ash tensed up a bit, obviously in pain. Serena gasped. "No...Keep going!"

 _Time for a Reversal_

He heard her. Even though his last Pokemon had taken so much damage, the boy from Pallet Town wasn't done for yet. "W-Water Shuriken! A-and make it big!" he forced out. Ash-Greninja jumped above the Flamethrower's range and threw his whole star-all the water he had. This was no time for holding back!

 _Because we will never give up until it's over_

Steam rose when the wet weapon came into contact with Charizard's fiery body, but despite that, the winner was obvious. The audience erupted with cheers.

"And the victory goes to Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!"

* * *

Serena fingered her blue ribbon with the largest smile possible on her face. He had done it! "Way to go, Ash!" she screamed.

Everyone had joined the loud crowd in their excitement over Ash's win. Except for Squishy, who still had an urgent look on its face, and Bonnie, whose eyes were full of tears.

"What's wrong?" Clemont asked her gently.

"After the league, Ash is going back to Kanto! This is the end of our journey! Then I'll hafta wait for years before Dedenne and I can go!"

That hadn't occured to Serena. "It's okay. He won't just take off right away. He'll probably stay here for a while and try to become Champion." she comforted the young girl, though she wasn't completely sure. _What if he does go, now that his goal is accomplished?_

 _I'll go with him._ Her grip on the ribbon tightened, and her expression hardened.

Clemont exchanged glances with Shauna. This certainly wasn't how he thought the League would end...

"Um...we want to find Ash, right? He'll be exiting the stadium through that stairway, so we should go around to the outside to meet him..." Trevor piped up quietly.

And that was exactly what they did.

* * *

Energy was flowing through him! He had won! He'd made it! He was one step closer to being a Pokemon Master! At this moment, he felt like he and his team could do anything!

And then the camera flashes started.

"So, Ash..."

"Now that you've..."

"You were the one who said..."

"At the beginning..."

"After six leagues..."

"The special form..."

"When are you challenging..."

"All I'm gonna do right now is talk to my friends!" He tried to push his way through, but it was nearly impossible.

Until a voice demanded that they "Give him some space!"

Somehow, that worked. In a flash, most of the reporters were gone.

"Now. You're the one who just won against Alain, correct?" _He could be useful to us...but the plan is already in motion._

"Yeah..."

"If you will, come by sometime soon. And bring that Greninja of yours." The mysterious red-haired man handed him a business card printed with the words 'Lysandre Laboratories' and a Lumiose City adress in elegant cursive.

"Okay...thanks for helping me out..." Ash wasn't sure what to say, so he continued down the hallway, eventually reaching the final door.

* * *

Serena had an arm around Bonnie. Mairin was scanning the crowd for Alain, though her eyes kept on flitting back to the two girls, wondering if they were all right. Clemont, Tierno and Trevor were talking excitedly about the best moments in the battle. Sawyer was scribbling something down.

That left Shauna as the first to see him. "Hey, Serena!" she called out, confusing Ash.

"Why're you calling me Serena?" he wondered aloud.

The Performer looked up. "Ash!" She let go of Bonnie and ran over to him. With a slight blush, she pulled him into a hug, earning herself smirks from two of her friends (though she didn't see that). "Awesome job in the battle!"

"Thanks! But what happened to you and Bonnie? And who's that girl in the cap over there?"

"That's Mairin! She's Alain's friend! And as for Bonnie and I...well...we just didn't want the journey to end, that's all...but don't worry about us! With a win like that, you could definitely go against the Elite Four and Champion!"

"She's right!" Sawyer joined in. "I filled up five pages with the amazing strategies you and Alain used!"

"Really? Wow...though I mostly made things up on the spot..." Ash admitted.

"What things did you plan, then?" Clemont asked.

 _"_ Oh, come on, Big Brother! That's not what really matters! Ash, are you leaving us?" The little lemon-blonde finally voiced her concerns.

"Am I...leaving you?" the Lumiose Conference victor echoed. He looked around at all his friends and rivals.

"Of course not! Before I even think about leaving Kalos, I'll battle Diantha and the Elite Four! If I lose, I'll just train up again and win! And if I do become Champion, I'll have to stay here as well! Plus, we still haven't seen all of the region! So it isn't over yet!" he exclaimed.

That statement cheered Bonnie up. "Hey, Clemont! Can I have a taiyaki?"

"Sure! What a quick mood change..." the Gym Leader muttered.

"Mairin! You come too!" the little girl insisted. Then she sent a glare at Shauna, who immediately caught on.

"Don't you two want some as well? I know I do!" she told Tierno and Trevor, who were a bit surprised but agreed. The three of them followed the Lumiose siblings and the new trainer to the stand. Bonnie winked at Serena as she left.

"Taiyaki...not my favorite." Ash remarked.

"There's a food you don't like?" she teased.

"Well...the Magikarp shape...just makes me feel like I'm eating Pokemon..." He shuddered at the thought.

Oh, Bonnie. She was too smart for her own good...and she used those smarts to interfere.

Still, Serena was grateful. Despite Ash's claim earlier, she knew that their travels were almost over. Battling the Elite Four and Champion would take a week at most, and if he did beat them, she was sure that he would quickly tire of his new position and soon move on to the next adventure. Thanks to her lemon-blonde friend, she had this one moment-maybe even the last moment-right now, and she couldn't waste it.

"So...um...I wanted to tell you that..." she hesitated, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Tell me what?" he inquired with that smile of his.

"That I..." _Can I actually do it?_

"...I really meant what I said, you know? Y-you did a really great job in the battle!" No. She couldn't bring herself to say what she really wanted to. There were too many possibilities, none of them good. Or so she thought.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without you...You told me not to give up when I was really nervous! Right before I sent out Goodra! And you said to keep going when that Flamethrower hit!" Ash replied.

"You heard that?"

He was about to answer 'Of course!'.

But suddenly, the ground shook

"What...what was that?" Serena wondered.

A light came on at the top of Prism Tower. And that was the only electric light in all of Lumiose. The City of Light had gone dark.

* * *

At the taiyaki stand, Bonnie's eyes widened. What was going on? It was kind of scary...

Her confusion only grew when Squishy hopped out of her bag. She had no choice but to follow it, still clutching her snack.

"Where are you going?" Clemont called out.

"Wherever Squishy's going! I'm not stopping for you!"

"Fine! But I'll come with you!"

"And I'll go as well!" Mairin joined in.

They got no argument. The three chased after the green, unidentifiable Pokemon together.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Ash has done it! He's won the Kalos League in an amazing battle against Alain, taking down Weaville, Metagross, Tyranitar, Scolipede, Bisharp, and Charizard!**

 **But what is this mysterious blackout? What will Giovanni do with Sawyer's Key Stone? What is 'the plan' that is 'already in motion'? And where is Squishy heading?**

 ***Pikachu no Uta plays as ending theme, completely changing the mood***

 **You'll find out next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note- So, here we are! From pictures, summaries and cast lists, with a good dose of my own ideas, I've put together my own version of XYZ 39! Not much to say, other than total sadneas at the outxome of XYZ 38...**

 **Let's get started, shall we?**

Episode 39- Team Flare Attacks! The Zygarde at the Prism Tower!

* * *

He had went beyond evolution. Yet it wasn't enough.

As he had expected, no one had bothered to talk to him after the battle ended, so he had quietly left the stadium. But what he didn't expect was a call on his Holo-Caster soon after.

"You lost." the man he was talking to told him bluntly. "I assume you know what that means."

"I'm not giving back my Key Stone!" he insisted. "Or Charizard's Mega Stone!"

" _Your_ Key Stone? _Charizard's_ Mega Stone? They are simply on loan."

"But..."

"You will be pleased to know that you have now collected enough Mega Evolution energy to heal the girl's Chespin, plus extra for a... _special_ operation."

"An operation?"

"That is no longer any of your business. You have done your part and collected energy. We have no further use for you. You are no longer an operative of Team Flare."

"What-"

"You will give Malva the Key Stone and Mega Stone, and she will return them to me. _Good day._ "

The projected image disappeared, leaving him with a world of questions. What was Team Flare's operation? Was it connected to the earthquake and blackout that had happened just seconds before he received the call? And wouldn't a team who was collecting Mega Evolution energy still need someone who could Mega Evolve, even if they had enough for this operation?

One thing was for sure. _When Malva comes, she won't be leaving with the Key Stone or Charizardite!_

* * *

It didn't take Bonnie, Clemont, and Mairin very long to catch up to Squishy, seeing as bouncing wasn't quite as fast as running. But when Bonnie picked it up (stuffing the rest of her taiyaki in her mouth), it tried to squirm out of her grip. "Wololo! Wololo!"

"Squishy, where are you going?" the small girl asked the smaller Pokemon.

"Wolololololololo!" It wiggled free and hopped back to the ground, continuing to the destination.

"My Gym!" Clemont exclaimed, following Squishy. "With the light and everything...someone must have taken control of it!"

"Shouldn't we get the others?" his sister pointed out. Sawyer, who loved sweets, had joined Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor for taiyaki, and Ash and Serena were, of course, intentionally left alone. Two performers and four league entrants would be extremely helpful if there really was trouble at Prism Tower.

"Right..." the inventor realized. But Squishy was getting farther and farther ahead, and they didn't want to lose it.

"I'll go get them!" Mairin blurted out, turning and sprinting back towards the stand. Ash's friends had all been so kind to her, and she wanted to help them. Besides, Chespie and Alain were still in Lumiose, and whoever was in the tower certainly didn't have good intentions. She wanted to protect her friends as well.

* * *

Luckily, Ash had already spotted the green Pokemon, the siblings, and the new trainer. "Come on!" He took Serena's hand.

 _There was just a small earthquake and all the power in the city's gone...Now isn't the time to think about that..._ But her cheeks turned an even deeper red anyway as they ran to catch up.

The two found Mairin, who had reached Shauna's group. "So Squishy's heading to the tower?" Ash asked her.

"Yeah...Clemont thinks someone's taken it over!" she explained as all seven of them continued forward to the heart of the city.

"Look!" Serena gasped. When they saw what had happened, Ash and the others came to a complete stop for a second-and then kept on going even faster.

There were vines wrapping around Prism Tower and sprouting out from the ground.

 _You know the Excadrill by now. XY &Z or Stand Tall?_

* * *

For once, a certain blonde Gym Leader wasn't panting. The only look on his face was of determination. _I've got to protect the city! It's my responsibility as the Gym Leader!_

He looked back and saw his friends following, so he slowed a bit to let them catch up.

"Do you know who's in there?" Ash asked him.

"I have a guess..." Clemont pushed up his glasses. "Seeing as Squishy is so determined to fight...we already know that it has one enemy for sure."

"Those Team Flare guys." the Lumiose Conference victor finished.

By now, they were in the plaza that surrounded the tower. Chaos filled the streets aroud them. The strange tendrils were continuing to push their way up through layers of dirt, cement, grass, and even whole buildings. Police officers were leading people away from the most damaged areas, but those areas just kept growing.

"There are so many of us...and so many problems...we've got to split up." Sawyer voiced an idea.

"That is the logical thing to do in a situation like this..." the inventor agreed.

"I'm gonna keep going with Squishy!" Bonnie insisted.

"Well, I want to see if there's anything we can do to stop those vines!" Tierno said. "Sawyer, Shauna, Trevor, you with me?"

"I'm going to find Alain!" Mairin decided, her hand on her one Poke Ball.

The four ran off to begin their search, while the new trainer went to check for her friend back by the arena.

* * *

"Malva." Alain spat. Somehow, the pink-haired woman had found the exact alleyway he was in. He expected that much.

"So glad to see that you remember me..." she smirked. "You know why I'm here, don't you? Hand it over."

He didn't answer. Just shot a glance to his right-where Charizard had stepped out from behind a trash bin.

The Pokemon had recieved very clear instructions. It sent a Flamethrower in one direction. The 'journalist' moved to get away. So it let out another attack, and then another, forcing Malva into a corner.

Alain's eyes seemed to blaze. "If you try to escape, or send out a Pokemon, I'll order Charizard to burn you to a crisp."

"You wouldn't." she said casually, still cool as a Krookodile.

"Use-" Hearing the beginning of the command, the Flame Pokemon stepped forward.

"All right, all right! What do you want from me?"

"Lysandre mentioned something about an operation. What is it?"

"That's classified information, and I seem to recall that _you_ are no-"

"Charizard!"

"Fine! Team Flare has stored the Mega Evolution energy that you collected! Xerosic has made a device that allows us to control Zygarde, Aliana and Bryony have rerouted the flow of electricity in the Power Plant to us, and it's as simple as that! We've began with Lumiose and soon we'll have all of Kalos!" He didn't notice her slip a Poke Ball from her belt into her hand as she made this grand statement.

"You lied to me! You said that energy was going to make the world a better-"

"Of course we lied! Team Flare has everything to gain! And nothing to lose. Houndoom!"

Before Alain could deliver on his threat, the canine was defending its Trainer. He had to do this the hard way. "Dragon Claw!"

"Crunch!" Quickly, Houndoom grabbed Charizard's right hand in its mouth, and, with all its strength, threw the Pokemon to the ground _,_ leaving Alain speechless.

Malva smirked again. "You see, I've been practicing since you beat me." She just strutted out, her faithful hound at her heels.

The Mega Evolution trainer soon came back to his senses. "Charizard! We need to fly! Mairin's depending on it!"

* * *

Suddenly, there was a loud blast a short distance away. Flames could be seen, bright orange and red against the grey and brown homes.

"What happened?" Bonnie exclaimed.

"I'm...not actually sure..." her brother admitted.

"That looks like it's near the Center!" Ash worried, a plan already forming in his mind. "You guys get into the tower! I've gotta make sure all those Pokemon are all right! And then I'll join you!"

"But...you'll be alone! With everything happening out there...are you sure?" Serena questioned.

"Somebody's taken over Clemont's Gym! And Squishy's already ahead! You need to go!" he pointed out.

Ash...always helping Pokemon in need..."Be careful..." the Performer whispered as she watched him dash off. She knew he could take care of himself, but still, she had a bad feeling about this...

* * *

If anyone had been close enough, they would have realized that the light at the top of the Prism Tower was not actually a light at all. It was a huge, snakelike red Pokemon, who the ancient legends referred to as Zygarde.

"Zygarde...the keeper of order in the region...and it's all mine!" Team Flare's boss cackled.

The Pokemon, once known as Z2, let out a screech.

"All of Lumiose will be under Team Flare's control...It is finally happening!" He watched more and more vines push their way out. All of them were from his new ally.

* * *

 _What's the best way to put out a fire like that?_ the raven-haired boy wondered as he ran. _Probably Greninja's Water Pulse..._

He quickly reached the Center. But when he looked up, the flames were gone. "W-what? How..?"

"Pi...ka?" His partner was just as confused.

"Predictable. Thanks to Houndoom, it was all too easy to lure you here." That wasn't either of the two. It came from a woman in a weird red dress and visor, followed by four Pokemon-the Houndoom she'd mentioned, a Liepard, a Weavile, and a Druddigon-who looked strangely familiar to Ash.

 _Haven't I seen her before?_ "What do you mean? Who are you?" he demanded.

"He doesn't remember, Bryony?" A second woman, dressed in the same red and with a somewhat-similar contraption over her eyes, chimed in.

"What a shame, since he's thwarted us so many times!" The third, again in a red outfit but with yellow socks setting her apart from the rest, stuck her hand out.

"Calm down, Aliana. This is the last of those." Everyone spun around to face the final arrival.

"Wondered when you'd get here, Celosia." the green-haired woman- _Bryony_ , the other one had called her-remarked..

"Oh, I've got perfect timing." She snapped her fingers, and suddenly, he was falling down.

"Pi..pika pi!" There was nothing the poor Pokemon could do for his Trainer.

"Xerosic's device worked. Repeat, the device worked." Aliana reported. Her three teammates were already putting restraints onto Ash and Pikachu. "We have the boy."

* * *

The three flung the door to the Prism Tower open and raced inside.

"Please place your Holo-Caster in the slot below." a robotic voice intoned.

Clemont glared at the screen. "That was MY invention!"

"Please place your Holo-Caster in the designated space below." the voice repeated, cutting him off.

They looked around at each other. _What exactly is a Holo-Caster?_

"If you do not submit your Holo-Caster in ten seconds, you will be ejected from the tower. Ten, nine, eight..seven..."

Suddenly, the screen flickered. And a face Serena knew all too well appeared on every TV in the city.

"People of Lumiose." Where the first voice was programmed and lacking in pitch, this was full of emotion. _Too_ emotional, even. And the picture- of a limp, defeated-looking Pallet Town native and his six Pokemon at the top of the Prism Tower- made tears come to her eyes. _No...no...no..._

"We have captured Ash Ketchum. The winner of the Lumiose Conference just a few hours ago." A pause, and the camera switched to-probably a live feed- a red-haired man. "And, as you may have noticed, our vines are taking over the city. Lumiose belongs to Team Flare now."

As quickly as it had started, it was over.

* * *

"Lysandre?" Mairin gasped. "He...was planing this all along?" She was wandering the streets in search of a certain Mega-Evolution trainer, but honestly had no idea where to find him. And like everyone else, she had stopped to see the video.

"Chespie...Chespie is still in Lysandre's Labratories! But I don't have the key...and the lock is digital and changes often..."

The poor girl happened to be near a Champion and a Professor.

"How could I...I thought he was storing that energy for good..." Professor Sycamore forced out. "I even funded him! And this happens? I actually believed that he was a good man..."

"We all did." Diantha reassured him. "How could we know..."

"That's the point." the professor sighed. They stood in silence.

* * *

"Ash!" Serena cried out. "I've got to get him back!"

"But...it looks like he's at the very top of the tower! How will you-" Clemont questioned.

"Ash climbed all the way to the top of the Prism Tower." Her voice was dead serious. "He saved Garchomp, remember? When I saw him on the news back then, I remembered him, and I admired him! He showed me what it was like to truly care for Pokemon! You need to take care of the Gym, but I need to help Ash...I've learned so much from him...and I love him... and I'll never give up on him till it's over!"

Bonnie wasn't surprised by her passionate declaration. Though her brother was, he didn't object when the honey-blonde Performer ran out the still-open door to find the built-in emergency ladders. He only hoped both of his friends would be all right.

* * *

"How could you have allowed this to happen?" Giovanni screamed into the computer. Unfortunately for a certain trio, it used batteries and was therefore unaffected by the blackout. "Because of the actions of that 'Team Flare', no flights are allowed into Lumiose City!"

"Sorry, Boss..." James hung his head.

"We didn't dare to even try to interfere..." Jessie sighed.

"Dat Team Flare is just too strong! Dere's no way we could beat dem!" Meowth pointed out. "Not with da Pokemon we have..."

"I have thought about that, and you have shown competence at taking the Key Stone...so I will send you the proper Pokemon to use. Your orders have changed. Your misson now is to take down Team Flare and take that Zygarde from them. By any means neccessary."

"Yes, Boss!"

* * *

Squishy stopped for no one. It had already discovered a hidden door in the back of the room while the video had been playing (and luckily, disrupting the 10-second countdown). The two siblings would have wanted to wait for Serena, but they knew that the green Pokemon would not stop- and every wasted second mean more of the city destroyed.

So Bonnie followed-Clemont right behind her-up stairs, down halls. Everything looked different in the dark. But it seemed like they were heading to one place. _The battlefield._

* * *

 _Alain! Alain, where are you?_ Mairin looked around desperately. And then, she saw it. A flash of black and blue. Though she knew it was unlikely that he would see her, she ran after it anyway.

Somehow, he noticed the little girl following him and instructed Charizard to turn around. She grinned as they came closer, quickly landing right next to her.

"Mairin...sorry...about Lysandre...and Chespie...and the energy...I didn't know..." he blurted out.

Her expression turned serious. "It's okay..but we need to stop them. I think everything's happening at the Prism Tower! Come on!"

* * *

 _My predictions are_

 _Finally coming to pass_

 _Is Kalos ready?_

"Lady Olympia? Is something wrong?"

The woman, dressed in an elegant, starry purple cape, shook her head.

 _No need to worry_

 _Lumiose will be OK_

 _Their bonds are strong_

* * *

 **Author's Note- Team Flare has attacked! Our heroes have separated! And Ash has gotten captured! Serena is prepared to climb the Prism Tower to rescue him, but will she succeed? Bonnie, Clemont, and Squishy are at the tower battlefield! And Mairin and Alain are making their way there!**

 **As for Olympia at the end...*cringe* Haikus are NOT my strong point.**

 ***Pikachu no Uta plays* Seriously, why did they choose this as the ending theme for what might actually be the most serious villan attack arc in the history of Pokemon?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note- I've got three things to say about (the real) XYZ 39.**

 **1\. Are the characters trying to practice a blinking routine or something? XD**

 **2\. Thank you, Jessie. Finally, the TRio isn't completely pointless.**

 **3\. Take note that Alain just stands there looking guilty when Team Flare captures Ash!**

 **4\. Puni-chan was** **absolutely stupid to change to 10% when the opponent was 50% and powered up by Flare's scientists.**

 **5\. They STILL haven't realized Blaziken Mask's true identity?**

 **Well, maybe SOME of that will change in my version of XYZ 40!**

Episode 40- The Shocking Zygarde Vs Zygarde! The Breaking World!

* * *

The Lumiose Conference victor opened his eyes, quickly realizing that he was trapped. "What is this?"

He looked around, seeing all six of his loyal Pokemon tied up like himself. "What happened? Are you guys all right?" he cried out.

"Welcome back to the Prism Tower, Ash." It was the man who had cleared the way out of the stadium earlier. "Only this time, it doesn't belong to that inventor."

"Let me go!" He struggled against the restraints.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Lysandre pulled out one of his Holo-Caster devices. "This may help to explain."

Unlike with a normal projection, this Caster was displaying four pictures simultaneously. Ash watched them all, horrified.

On one, the vines were continuing to tear up Lumiose City. Shauna, Sawyer, Tierno, Trevor, Diantha, and Professor Sycamore were trying to protect the people from them, but for every one they destroyed, two more immediately grew back.

The next showed two people on the back of a Mega Charizard, flying to the tower. However, the ever-growing vines made it almost impossible for them to make their way through.

Third was a familiar sibling pair and a tiny green Pokemon walking into the dark battlefield, where another man seemed to be waiting for them with an evil grin.

Yet it was the fourth and final image that was most frightening. One girl, all by herself, took a nervous breath, stepped up into another particularly small foothold, and grabbed onto another particularly small ledge.

 _She's climbing the tower?_ "No! Serena!" He tried even more desperately to free his hands and feet, but the floating spherical devices wouldn't open.

Lysandre chuckled. "You and Zygarde will deal with her."

"Me? And...that's Zygarde?" he gasped, finally noticing the gigantic red serpent with them.

"Yes. We have made some modifications to the failed plans of others. Zygarde is now as much a part of Team Flare as I am. And as you will be."

"I'm not joining you! I'm not gonna fight my friends!"

"You may be known as the Chosen One...but even the Chosen One cannot resist us." And with that, the red-haired man left to give more commands to his scientists.

* * *

 _Hold on, Ash!_ Each shaky step was more perilous than the last.

 _Don't worry! I'm not giving up!_ The Performer carefully moved to the side to avoid a large vine. Once she had cleared it, she wasted no time in re-centering herself.

 _You'll be back with us soon!_

* * *

"We have our orders from da Boss! Let's go for it while the going's good!" the Scratch Cat stated.

James nodded. "I agree with Meowth. They'll just get stronger the longer we wait."

"The real question is how we'll take them down. I say we get on TV." Jessie announced with a vain hair flip.

"You just want da whole world to admire you! Dat's not going to help!" Meowth argued.

"Hold on! Jess may be on to something! If we show everyone exactly what Team Flare's doing-"

"-then we'll ruin their plan." she interrupted, shooting a 'Told-you-so' glare at the only Pokemon in the trio.

"We've got to start as soon as we can!"

* * *

"Big Brother, who's that?" Bonnie wondered. Squishy had led them to the very center of the Lumiose Gym. To their surprise, there was already a man there.

"I don't know...but his outfit definitely looks like Team Flare's." Clemont repied.

"Oho! Indeed, I am part of the noble organization you mentioned. I can tell that you must be this city's Gym Leader...but what kind of scientist hasn't heard of my work?"

"Your...work?"

"Despite all the trouble your systems have caused me, I have managed to make huge advances in certain fields! Pokemon control, enhanced computers, and rapid growth to name a few...Allow me to introduce myself! I, Xerosic, am one of Team Flare's five finest!"

The man stopped at the expression on Clemont's face; the inventor looked like he had been put through Charizard's Blast Burn. "I still don't know exactly who you are, but some things are obvious!" he exclaimed angrily, adjusting his glasses. "If you're a high-ranking scientist for Team Flare, you helped from behind the scenes when they tried to take Squishy and its friend! And you're probably behind Ash's capture as well!"

Xerosic laughed maniacally, his extremely pale skin making him look like a (significally wider, redder, and nosier) mad scientist version of Voldemort. "Yes, yes. All true. Except for one thing. We DID capture Z2! And it was all thanks to me...oh, the boss and those four annoying girls love to take all the credit, but it is always MY devices that ensure our victory!" He took another glance at the two siblings. "Leave us now."

Neither of them moved. Who exactly was he referring to?

"I mean the little girl! You have no place here!"

"Leave my sister alone!" Clemont protested.

"It's my brother's Gym! You're the one who doesn't have a place here! And I'm _not_ little!" Bonnie shot back.

"Brave words...but useless." From inside a shirt pocket. Xerosic slipped out a Poke Ball. "Malamar! Do what you must!"

"Is that the same-" The lemon-blonde was saying something, but she was quickly stopped. It was, in fact, the same Malamar who had threatened them before. And it had practiced. In a second, her brother stood, frozen.

"W-what did you do to Clemont...?" she whispered.

Xerosic glared at her. "It's none of your buisness! "He'll only get worse until you leave."

For some reason, the little girl didn't question it. She fled, in whatever direction her instincts told her.

 _Two song options. XY and Z. Stand Tall._

* * *

Though she didn't know it at first, she was heading to the top of the tower. Right past Ash.

"Bonnie!" he shouted. But he got no reply. And because he was still in the restraints, he couldn't reach her.

She kept on going towards Zygarde, doing nothing to resolve his worries _._ Two of his friends were now in immediate danger...For what felt like the millionth time, he tried forcing his hands and feet out of Xerosic's strange creations. And for what felt like the billionth time, it didn't work.

* * *

Suddenly, Bonnie realized exactly where she had went. "Uh oh..."

Two Pokemon stuck their heads out of her bag. "De ne ne?" "Wololo?"

"Both of you!" she exclaimed with relief. "Glad I didn't leave you at the battlefield!"

"Zyrrgh!" They were interrupted by a loud growl from the huge-and most certainly not happy-red Pokemon on with them.

"Wo! Wololol? Brrrrb?" _My friend! What happend to you? Can you hear me?_

 _Respond! Respond!_ But nothing happened. "Squishy? What are you doing?" the girl wondered.

It was no use. _Then I have no choice..._ The tiny green Pokemon jumped out and glowed as it took in all the tiny, hidden Cells around it.

The opponent lifted its head, preparing for another attack.

* * *

Finally, Serena had reached the top. And not a moment too soon. A sudden wave rocked the tower, nearly knocking her to the ground. _What was that?_

All she had to do to find out was look ahead. Right in front of her, two massive serpents were facing off.

"Zyrr...gha!" the green one growled, charging up a powerful beam of energy.

"You go, Squishy!" It was then that she noticed the young lemon-blonde giving directions to the Pokemon.

 _Bonnie...how did she get up there?_ But another voice caught her attention. "Serena!"

* * *

"Now! Do it!" Squishy released the attack, which looked to be a Dragon Pulse.

Bonnie had timed it perfectly. The beam hit the red Zygarde right when it had turned away. "Again!" she shouted, feeling a rush of power. The hexagons on her friends tail turned black as it struck.

Their foe, however, easily protected itself with a quick Dragon Tail of its own. But that was exactly what she wanted. It put them in the perfect place. "Fire an attack out!"

Apparently, Squishy's idea of firing an attack was sending hundreds of-probably even a thousand-sharp-tipped stone arrowheads at the enemy. _How could any Pokemon do that?_ Bonnie's eyes widened. Just a few minutes ago, that same Pokemon was laying in her bag...how much power did it really have?

Like her role model, she pumped her fist when the opponent was sent staggering back. "All right!"

But it was too early for celebration. The ground trembled, and ripples started to form. No, not ripples. _Waves_. And like the arrows, there were a thousand of them. Again, Bonnie was forced to wonder how exactly that was possible.

Wave after wave struck the green Zygarde. They seemed small, but the way the Pokemon flinched showed that they were hard.

* * *

"Ash!" She raced over to him, heart pounding.

"You need to help Bonnie!" he shouted. "She and Squishy are fighting a Zygarde!"

"But...you're still..." she hesitated.

"That's why you've gotta help them for me! You can't stay here! I'm pretty sure this is a trap..." he tried to warn her.

Of course, Serena couldn't do that. "So what? I'm not leaving you!"

"You should listen to him more often." The woman behind them, who had just escaped from Alain, who had filled the news with interviews, pictures, and clips of the Lumiose Conference, and who had earned a place in the Kalos Elite Four...was also Lysandre's second-in-command.

* * *

"Forward, Sceptile! Let's Mega-" Sawyer stopped immediately when he realized for the first time that something was wrong. "My Key Stone's gone!" But none of the others even noticed. They were absorbed in their fights against the plants.

"T-Trevor! Help me out a bit!" Tierno and his Blastoise were nimbly dodging every vine with their dance moves, but that wouldn't last for long.

"On it! Charizard, Dragon Claw!" The Flame Pokemon sliced through the tendril like it was made of butter.

"Keep on using Vine Whip to protect us!" Shauna's Ivysaur was using two at once and knocking falling objects-more common than you would think-away from the four trainers.

While their teamwork was exceptional, there were some others who preferred to work alone. Such as Alain, who had finally landed on the tower plaza after some particularly tight squeezes between vines.

"We're here!" Mairin announced. "C'mon, let's go inside!" Then she saw the look on his face. "We...are going inside, aren't we?"

"I'm sorry, but you can't come with me." the Mega-Evolution trainer told her.

"Mairin, you only have one Pokemon!" he added at her confused expression.

"But Alain-"

"It's just not safe!"

"Fine!" she stormed off. He was already getting back on Charizard.

* * *

"This is Jessilee, live from Lumiose City...The mysterious vines are continuing to sprout up everywhere! A group calling themselves Team Flare has taken credit for the outage, the plants, and Ash Ketchum's capture." A single vine hung down to dangle in her face, but she quickly slapped it away.

"Right now, there are still many on the streets... quite a few are staying in the Pokemon Center at the edge of town, but certain people have actually come to the Prism Tower to fight back. Which is what we're going to check out next." Once Meowth gave her an all-clear nod, they jumped back into their helicopter. James flicked the controls on, and they were ready for the next news story.

Until there was a banging on their side door. "If you're going to the tower, can I come with you?" a muffled voice could be heard.

Jessie sighed, opening it. "What do you want?"

"To get to the top of the Prism Tower, find Alain, and stop Team Flare!" she declared, turning her green cap.

The three members of the Team Rocket Trio huddled in to discuss the matter in detail.

"She's a friend of da twerps. We don't need one'a dem around!" the Scratch Cat said.

"But she does want to take down Team Flare..." James pointed out.

Jessie made the call. "We've got to let her come!"

* * *

"You-you're that journalist who was reporting on the Kalos League!" Serena remembered.

The pink-haired woman smirked. "Yes. But I'm also so much more-"

"-a traitor who gave away classified information about the Elite Four and the Kalos News Network, a user of cheap tricks with Fire-types in battle, and...oh yeah. Lysandre's girlfriend." a certain Charizard-flyer interrupted. He had come at just the right time.

"How dare you!" Malva fumed. She had a Poke Ball ready already.

Serena was already opening the orbs on Ash's hands and feet. "Thanks a lot!" he whispered to her, not wanting to attract the attention of the arguing Team Flare members (well, one member and one ex-member).

"No problem." she replied with a smile. "Now, we need to help the rest of your Pokemon, and then battle with Bonnie!"

Soon, all six were free. If she hadn't started a heated 1 vs 1 battle with Alain (Houndoom vs Charizard, naturally), Malva would have noticed a lot quicker. Unfortunately, she did notice as the two slipped away to join their friend. "Xerosic. Plan B. Now."

Of course, while she was sending that quick message, Charizard had knocked out Houndoom with a few quick moves. Trainer and Pokemon had now joined Ash, Serena, Bonnie, Squishy, and the red Z2.

* * *

The only one really missing was Clemont. He was still on the Prism Tower battlefield, in a Malamar-induced trance.

"Plan B...Malva messing things up as usual..." Xerosic muttered as he typed a couple commands and pushed a few buttons. "...at least we can do it ahead of schedule, though."

Then he remembered about the Gym Leader. "Oh, let him go now." the Flare scientist finally decided. His Pokemon obliged.

The blonde inventor blinked. "Wait, what happened? Where did Bonnie go?"

"Your sister is of little concern to us. You are of more interest to me than she is."

Clemont pushed up his glasses. "If you don't mind my asking, why?"

"You are a fellow scientist. You question the world and experiment to change it, just as I do. In a way, we are alike."

He stood up. "No. We use science in completely different ways. I don't hurt people or Pokemon in the process. As the Gym Leader, I aim to make Lumiose City, and Kalos as a whole, a better place. Every success, every failure has meaning to me, because I put effort into it. All of my inventions matter! You? You are a pawn in Lysandre's game. And...I can't let this game go on any longer! I challenge you! To a battle for the future of science!"

* * *

Plan B. Lysandre could tell immediately. The red beam had shot up into the sky, Z2 and Ash were glowing eerily...He only hoped that things hadn't went completely off course.

* * *

 **Author's Note- Things are heating up! I've been wanting to write Bonnie commanding Squishy for a while, so this chapter was fun!**

 **Finally, all of our heroes (minus the SSTT, who are trying to stop the vines, Clemont, who's challenged Xerosic, and Mairin, who's on the way with the TRio) are gathered in one place against the controlled Zygarde!**

 **But what exactly will Plan B do?**

 ***Puni-chan no Uta begins***

 **You'll just have to wait for the next episode (I mean, chapter)!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note- XYZ 40 and 41 were just plain amazing...what's with that fire coming out of Shiny Gyrados' mouth though? XD Puni-chan getting controlled was just...:( What really shocked me, however, was not in 'The Shocking Zygarde VS Zygarde'. It was in the next episode. STEVEN?**

 **"Lysandre, I don't care if you hate the world." Best Ash line ever.**

 **I wonder who taught Serena how to battle so well...**

 **Xerosic REJECTED!**

 **Saddest Puni-chan no Uta ever** **\+ RIP Clembot...**

 **Never mind that. It's time again! For what? An expansion of this fic, of course! It's going to reach up to XYZ 44. 9 chapters overall...**

 **Here we go. On to my version of**

Episode 41- Attack on the Lumiose Gym! Clembot Forever!

* * *

"A-ash?" Bonnie's tone changed mid-word. For a second, she-and the others-forgot all about the battling Zygarde.

"Why are you all staring at me?" He looked around at everyone's stricken faces.

"Um...around you..." Serena finally managed to tell him.

"Huh?" He lifted his hand. There was a red aura surrounding it-and the rest of him as well. Though it started faint, it was glowing brighter every second.

"What?" he managed to force out, before he collapsed for the second time that day.

* * *

Suddenly, all the lights came on around them, and a tall figure walked into the room from the back. "Well put, sir. But to have a battle, you will need a referee."

"Clembot!" the Gym Leader exclaimed.

"I have been programmed to activate when a match is about to begin on this battlefield. Also, I do not trust this man-" the robot pointed one long arm at Xerosic "-to fight fairly."

Team Flare's scientist chuckled. "If it was a trainer battle, then yes, I would agree with you about that. But this is against a fellow scientist. My honor is on the line! I will abide by your League rules-on one condition. If I defeat you, you will choose one of these two buttons and press it."

"What do they do?" Clemont wondered.

Xerosic immediately pushed the subject away. "That doesn't matter right now. You will find out if or when you lose your last Pokemon. Do you accept or not?"

 _He wants this to_ _go by his terms...but I'm the one who challenged him!_ The inventor crossed his arms."I won't agree until I know for sure!"

"Would you believe me if I said they turned the walls different colors?"

Neither master nor invention replied.

"That's all they do: _change the walls._ " the red-clad scientist said with a smirk.

Clemont was still suspicious, but he was itching to battle. And he had no time to waste. So, against his better judgement, he grabbed a Poke Ball from his backpack. "Fine! Let's make it 1 vs 1! Luxray, come on out!"

"Malamar!"

 _Come on, you know we need a theme song. XY and Z? Stand Tall?_

* * *

When Ash opened his eyes, he immediately knew that something was wrong.

"What happened..." Serena whispered, left hand automatically moving to her blue ribbon.

"Is he all right?" Though Alain had a strange way of showing it, he did care for others. And Ash, the only one who had ever given him a real challenge, had left a deep impression on him.

Immediately, he ordered a "Pikachu! Thunderbolt." _What? No!_

Ash's team had begun to glow like their trainer. The electric mouse aimed his move straight at Squishy (who was doing all right-but not winning-without Bonnie's assistance). When the Pokemon was hit, its red opponent took the opportunity to strike it with another beam.

The group had seen some pretty weird things during their journey (Clemont's invention names, Serena dressed up as Ash, and Bonnie's Squishy Song come to mind). But nothing they had ever gone through was half as strange or half as shocking as this: their leader, their best friend turning on them.

The Performer's other hand went to her ribbon as well. "He can't be..."

Alain could believe it. "That's Mega Evolution energy. So powerful that most people and Pokemon can only handle it with Key Stones. With it, Team Flare's controlling every move he makes..."

"Electro Ball." the captive Conference winner suddenly ordered, his flat tone the complete opposite of his normal voice.

Serena had no choice. _Squishy can't handle both Ash and the other Pokemon-didn't he call it a Zygarde? I-I don't want to, but..._ Her hand shook as she grabbed the Poke Ball."Braixen! Get rid of that attack with Flamethrower!"

Her Fox Pokemon was surprised to be fighting Pikachu, but it still destroyed the orb of electricity.

 _I won't attack them...I won't!_ "I-Iron Tail...no! Stop!" he screamed.

A glimmer of hope reached Serena's eyes. _Of course. This is Ash...no energy's able to control him..._

But he could only break through for a second. Before any of them knew it, the next order was coming out. "Quick Attack."

His partner dashed forward, but was pushed back by a hurried Fire Blast.

* * *

While the battle between 'Ash' and Serena continued, Alain was aiding Squishy in taking down the manipulated Zygarde (who was now an even deeper red).

"Use Dragon Claw! Target the stomach!" The Flame Pokemon obeyed immediately, earning itself an earsplitting screech from the enemy.

"Squishy! Hit 'em now!" Bonnie wasted no time either. Her once-tiny friend let out a huge Dragon Pulse.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Mairin whined yet again.

"Be patient, twerpette!" Meowth shot back. "And look out da window!"

She did so. Right through the glass was the vine-choked tower/Gym. "All right!" she exclaimed in delight- until she saw the roof.

"What's happened to Ash? Is he fighting Serena? And Bonnie is right in the middle of things? Alain's helping her, so she should be okay," -a hint of a grin reached her lips at that- "but still? Where's her brother?"

James sighed. "Twerpette, we don't have all the answers..."

"Stop calling me that...my name is Mairin, not twerpette!" she told the trio, but without much conviction. She was too worried: about Alain, her new friends, the future of Lumiose City (and Kalos altogether), and Chespie, in danger at Team Flare's lab.

"We should be landing in ten, nine, eight, seven..." Jessie called from the front of the small helicopter. As the numbers got smaller and smaller, the four braced themselves. Sooner than expected, the loud _thump!_ announced their arrival.

"Alain!" The young Trainer raced out of the helicopter.

"M-mairin? I told you to stay away!" he scolded her.

"That's what you said back when you went to Hoenn!" she pouted. "And when you battled..."

"And look what happened then! Chespie got sick!" he reminded her. Over the course of his journey, the Mega-Evolution trainer had become all too practiced at finding excuses to push people away.

The poor girl's eyes filled with tears at the mention of her first Pokemon. Alain had been a bit too harsh.

"S-sorry!" he apologized quickly. "I'm sure she'll be fine soon, since I collected all that Mega-Evolution energy..." _IF Lysandre keeps his word..._

Her face brightened, but only a small bit. "Really? But she's in Lysandre Labs..."

He didn't want to see that look on her ever again. "Well, if you want..." Three of his Pokemon were thrown out: the Tyranitar, Weaville, and Bisharp from his battle against Ash. Alain gave them a determined glare as he mounted his Flame Pokemon. "You protect the tower and the little girl. Mairin and I are going to Team Flare's base to get Chespie back."

* * *

Of course, the new trainer had not come alone. "Dose guys have a base?" Meowth wondered.

"Well then, let's raid it! Forget about the tower! Follow that Charizard!" James flipped levers and pressed buttons enthusiastically.

"We'll expose the secret location to the world!" Jessie cackled as they headed on, no idea what was ahead.

* * *

"Psyco Cut!" Xerosic began.

Clemont had a counter ready. "Swift!"

When the stars met the pink crescent, both exploded like a failed invention. Yet even the smoke wouldn't make the Team Flare scientist slow down. "Night Slash!"

Malamar dashed forward, so the Gym Leader called for a "Thunder Fang!"

The Overturning Pokemon tried to stop, but it was too late. Luxray had grabbed onto its attacking arm, electricity crackling around its mouth.

"You can do better than that! Foul Play!" Xerosic's Dark-Psychic type flipped the Gleam Eyes Pokemon to the ground- damage and an escape rolled into one.

Before it could get far, the Gym Leader had another order. "Wild Charge!"

His feline was surrounded by more electricity as it rammed into Malamar. The collision left them both panting on opposite sides of the field.

Again, Xerosic made the first move. "Psybeam."

"Swift!" And again, the impact created smoke. But another order from Clemont ensured that this wouldn't be like the first time.

"Electric Terrain!" Multiple bolts shot out from Luxray's body, covering the ground.

The Overturning Pokemon, hovering a couple inches above the electricity, wasn't harmed. "Oho! You thought that would work? Psyco Cut!"

Needless to say, Clemont had more strategy than Xerosic. _Come on...just get a bit closer..._ And when it did, he pushed up his glasses with a shocking command. "Discharge!"

"Ray!" Powered up by the field, the blinding release of all that energy bliterated the pink crescent-and sent Malamar flying into one of the computers its trainer had set up.

"Malamar is unable to battle, making Luxray the winner. Well done, sir." Clembot announced.

* * *

"Hidden Power!" Serena commanded.

When the rocks were above Pikachu's head, Ash told his Pokemon to "Smash them first and then attack. Iron Tail."

"Dodge that!" was the Performer's quick response.

But Braixen couldn't get away that easily. Not when the Mouse Pokemon was powered up by Mega-Evolution energy. The slap from the hard tail knocked her to the ground, and soon a second move followed. "Electro Ball."

It was a direct hit-right in the Fox Pokemon's face. Naturally, there had to be something next. "Thunderbolt."

Yet another direct hit. And judging by the Trainer's open mouth, another was sure to come.

Ash was horrified. _Isn't that enough? No good trainer fights like that! It might not be against the rules, but..._ It was like a nightmare. He kept calling out _Stop! Stop! Stop!,_ but nobody could hear it.

"Brai..brai braixen!" The battered-but still fighting-Pokemon prompted her trainer to give another order before their opponent did.

"Okay, Flamethrower!" Serena couldn't let this continue.

What came out, however, was not a Flamethrower at all. The starter's body was shining a brilliant blue, so unlike the red of the electric mouse right next to her. Taller, more fur...when the light faded, it left the Fox a different Pokemon.

"Del...phox!" She spun her twig in a glowing ring, and then exhaled a huge blast of fire right through it. Because Pikachu was so close, it had no chance to avoid the blazing beam.

"Delphox...you evolved! And learned Mystical Fire! That's awesome!" New Showcase ideas filled Serena's mind, but she ignored them. "Try a Fire Blast!"

The five-pointed star was larger than anything she'd created as a Braixen. Of course, it would give a result that was just as surprising. On impact, Pikachu was sent flying backwards.

 _Knocked out?_ It seemed impossible. This was Ash's first Pokemon! Who had battled in six leagues and countless Gyms! But a lot of its strength came from its Trainer, and the determination the two had. That determination was absent in this battle. No matter how much energy Team Flare used, they could never control the will to fight.

Still, another Pokemon, perhaps the raven-haired boy's strongest, stepped up to take Pikachu's place.

* * *

The six faces- of Mairin, Alain, and Charizard, plus their trio of followers in the helicopter-all had identical looks of determination as they landed at Lysandre Labs. But as soon as they touched ground, the Mega Charizard attracted attention. In this case, from the same woman they had fought earlier.

"Malva...you again..." Alain gritted his teeth. _How is she always one step ahead of us?_

James let go of the controls in shock, nearly causing a crash landing. "That's the reporter we were working with!"

She grinned. "Yes. Me again. Except this time, I'm not alone." Four others stepped out from behind her, each with a Pokemon.

"Pay attention!" Getting out of the helicopter, Jessie scolded her partners-in-crime as she set up the camera. "The Kalos League runner-up is fighting an Elite Four member, as well as four women who appear to be part of Team Flare...the odds do NOT look good..."

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" He had anticipated something like this...but still...he'd left half of his Pokemon at the tower! For once, the Mega Evolution trainer was a bit worried.

"And Metagross, Flash Cannon!" Surprised, they all looked up. Descending to the ground was a shiny Pokemon with a Champion on its back. "I only hope I'm not too late."

* * *

"I lost...how could I have lost..." Xerosic muttered, not even bothering to recall Malamar. "At least I'll be able to do this..." He raised his hand to above a red button.

But it was grabbed by a robot. "Not so fast. That is one of the buttons you wanted Clemont to press, correct?"

"So what?" He wrenched his hand free.

Clembot's eyes narrowed. "What exactly does it do?"

"I suppose there's no harm in saying it now...Like I said, they change the walls. The red triggers a program that collapses the inner walls of the tower, and the blue would collapse the outer ones."

"I cannot let you do that. Activating intruder removal mode." A ball of electricity formed between the robots hands, and it hurled it at the scientist.

Unfortunately, he still managed to slam his hand down on the red button before he was thrown into an emergency escape chute.

Immediately, an alarm started and a countdown began on the large screen. _Sixty, fifty nine..._

"No!" Clemont began furiously typing code into the computer, trying to stop the spread of the program.

 _Fifty eight, fifty seven, fifty six, fifty five..._

"Sir...there is one way to get rid of this. And all of Team Flare's other programs as well. It wouls be a major turning point." Clembot told him.

 _Fifty four, fifty three, fifty two, fifty one..._

He stopped. "What is it?"

 _Fifty, forty nine..._

"My programming is compatible with that in the tower. If you begin a transfer-"

 _Forty eight, forty seven, forty six, forty five..._

"-the code for that program will move from the tower to you." Clemont finished. "But-but that would destroy you! I know there's something else we can do!"

 _Forty four, forty three, forty two, forty one..._

Again, he entered code into Xerosic's computer. But nothing seemed to do the trick.

 _Forty, thirty nine, thirty eight, thirty seven..._

"It is an honor to have been created by you, sir." the robot said solemnly, linking himself up to the system.

 _Thirty six, thirty five, thirty four, thirty three..._

"Clembot..." A tear slid down his cheek.

 _Thirty two..._

"It is the only way!" invention reminded the inventor.

 _Thirty one..._

The Gym Leader's fingers hovered over the keys.

 _Thirty..._

"You must! For the future of science!" his creation insisted.

"I-I know..." He wiped more tears away with his blue jumpsuit sleeve. "T-thank you, Clembot..it-it's an honor to have created you..." Finally, Clemont put in the necessary code.

All the displays returned to normal, except for one-Clembot's eyes. They flickered bright and dim, until a small explosion inside of the robot turned him off permanently.

* * *

"Greninja, Water Shuriken."

"Dodge!" Luckily, Delphox managed to avoid most-but not all-of the throwing stars.

"Water Pulse." _Greninja! Can you hear me? I know you can sometimes..please!_

 _Gre? Gre ja!_ But both Pokemon and Trainer were still at the mercy of Team Flare's Mega Evolution energy. The sphere struck the Fire-type, and steam rose.

"Scratch!" She didn't want to use fire, as it wasn't very effective against the ninja Pokemon.

 _Oh no...Serena..._ Ash could immediately see that she'd made a mistake. Now, Delphox was open to close-range attacks from...well, him and his Pokemon(sort of).

He was right to be worried. "Aerial Ace."

That was a solid hit. Luckily, the Fox Pokemon was able to strike back with a Hidden Power. Greninja flinched when the rocks struck, but didn't seem too affected.

"Finish this. Cut." he commanded, voice as cold and sharp as ice. _We've gotta stop this, now!_

 _Ninja..._ Though they tried, neither could break through. But the light around them was starting to fade.

A chill went down the honey blonde's spine as she saw her Pokemon fall. "No...Delphox..."

"Phox..." The Pokemon was obviously struggling to speak.

"You can do this...we can do this...Ash said never to give up till it's over! And we won't!" Like he did, she raised a fist. "Ready? All right!"

Her Pokemon stood up, now cloaked in a veil of fire.

 _Let'Z go!_

* * *

 **Author's Note- So, we've got even more splitting up, an evolution, a shutdown, mult** **iple battles...**

 **Clemont's got a victory, but at the cost of Clembot...**

 **Steven's arrived at Lysandre Labs along with Alain, Marin, and the TRio...**

 **Things are really heating up! (And not just with Serena and Delphox!)**

 ***Puni-chan no Uta starts* The journey, and the fight against Team Flare, will continue next chapter!**


End file.
